Pictures courtesy of Thaitabloid 

 

Immigration police arrested three Chinese nationals and one Myanmar national during a raid on a well-known amulet market in the Ngamwongwan area of Nonthaburi on 12 December 2025, after discovering they were working without permits. The operation led to multiple charges under Thailand’s foreign employment and immigration laws, with suspects taken into custody for prosecution at Rattanathibet Police Station.

 

The arrests followed a directive from Pol Lt Gen Phanumas Boonyalak, Commissioner of the Immigration Bureau, and Pol Maj Gen Phanthana Nuchanart, Deputy Commissioner, in line with national police chief Pol Gen Kitrat Phanphet’s policy to closely monitor foreign nationals engaged in inappropriate or unlawful activities while residing in Thailand. Immigration investigators from Division 3 were ordered to act after receiving intelligence about illegal employment at a shopping centre in Mueang district, Nonthaburi province.

 

At around 13:00 on 12 December, officers led by Pol Maj Gen Songprod Sirisukha, commander of Immigration Division 3, and Pol Col Chinawut Tangwonglert, deputy commander, deployed surveillance and inspection teams inside the mall. Police inspected two amulet stalls where three men believed to be foreign nationals were openly buying and selling Buddhist amulets, presenting themselves as expert dealers and trading gold and silver amulet frames.

 

Document checks identified two Chinese nationals, Mr Ming, aged 35 and Mr Zhang, aged 40, both holding 60-day temporary stay permits issued for tourism or limited business contact purposes only. A third stall was operated by another Chinese national, Mr Wang, who held a temporary education visa but had no work permit. Officers also found a Myanmar national, Mr Min Oo, aged 29, employed at the stall, whose permission to stay in Thailand had expired and who also lacked a work permit.

 

All three Chinese nationals were charged with working without authorisation or beyond their permitted rights as foreign nationals. The Myanmar national was charged with working without a permit and overstaying in the kingdom. In addition, Mr Wang faced an extra charge of employing a foreign worker without a valid work permit.

 

thaitabloid reported that Pol Col Suriya Phuangsombat, superintendent of the Immigration Investigation Unit, warned that such offences violate the Emergency Decree on the Management of Foreign Workers 2018. Penalties for foreign nationals working illegally include fines ranging from 5,000 to 50,000 baht, while employers face fines of 10,000 to 100,000 baht per illegal worker. Immigration authorities will also consider blacklisting the suspects under immigration law after legal proceedings conclude.

 

 

Key Takeaways

 

• Immigration police arrested three Chinese nationals and one Myanmar national for illegal employment in Nonthaburi on 12 December 2025.

• The suspects were found openly trading Buddhist amulets despite holding visas that did not permit work.

• Authorities warned of fines, prosecution, and possible blacklisting for foreign nationals and employers who break labour laws.

 

 Adapted by Asean Now from Thaitabloid 2025-12-14

 

 

 

Phew, I feel sooo much safer now......

Their amulets they were wearing weren't expensive enough to stop them getting busted then  🙄🙏😄

5 minutes ago, ronster said:

Their amulets they were wearing weren't expensive enough to stop them getting busted then  🙄🙏😄

Probably fakes...

Topping up the Police warehouses time of the year 🤣😂🤣

 

On 12/13/2025 at 2:35 PM, Georgealbert said:

Division 3 were ordered to act after receiving intelligence about illegal employment at a shopping centre in Mueang district, Nonthaburi province

Now, there's less competition.

What took plod so long? Surely when doing the rounds for “donations” for the policemen’s ball they must have been aware of the newcomers, or maybe the envelope was a little bit lite too often.

Authorities warned of fines, prosecution, and possible blacklisting for foreign nationals and employers who break labour laws.

 

 

How about confiscate all product, fine them heavily, then throw them in the clink for a year lifelong  blacklist.